AUDI S4 TO CHALLENGE DOMINANT BMWS

The Engen Xtreme Team, are one week closer to showing off their ‘new look’ Audi S4’s at Killarney race track on Saturday 2 April, 2011. The team will be racing the new Audi engineering for the first time in the WesBank Series and are more than confident of being on the podium come race day end.




After a challenging weekend at Kyalami last month where the team sadly had to compete in 2010 machinery, race engineers have been hard at work preparing the new specification cars for their launch challenge on Saturday.  Engen Xtreme team Manager, Michael Stephen reports that with this new package, he is confident of bridging the gap between Suburu driver, Hennie Groenewald, who has a 13 point lead on him at the moment, Stephen and teammate Tschops Sipuka walked away with an overall 6th and 7th place respectively at the 2011 season’s opener up North.


On the VW Cup front, 2010 Masters Champion and Engen Xtreme Polo driver, Miguel Pasqualli has his eye on his competitor Lee Thompson who is currently ahead on the championship ladder. Pasqualli will be putting his new look Polo to the test for the second time this season, with the hopes of bridging the 11 point gap on Thompson.  With home track advantage and a few adjustments to his car, Engen Xtreme Polo driver, Kosie Weyers is confident that Killarney will again be a happy hunting ground for championship points.

AWD MERCEDES-BENZ ZETROS 6X6 STRONG FOR MONGOLIA

The all-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz Zetros is in its element wherever all-terrain capabilities and a high payload are required. This cab-behind-engine model for difficult off-road conditions is not only suitable as a commercial vehicle, but also as a basis for recreational and expedition vehicles. This is demonstrated by two Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6x6 with special bodies and interior fittings which have recently been delivered to Ulan-Bator, the capital of Mongolia.




Mongolians love their freedom, and greatly enjoy excursions into the varied natural surroundings of their high-altitude homeland. Whereas only the horse was once a suitable means of transport for this purpose, two businessmen friends in Ulan-Bator – one of them owns a brewery where beer is brewed to a German recipe, while the other became wealthy as a shareholder in coal and copper mines – decided in favour of the Zetros as a more modern and luxurious way of negotiating the terrain. The two friends use their unique jumbo off-roaders for multi-day excursions into the Altai mountains, for example, where they hunt for wolves with an eagle.


As a three-axle truck with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 25 tonnes – up to 27 tonnes for export – the Zetros has a payload ("chassis load capacity" without body) or around 16 tonnes. The powertrain and chassis of the Zetros are based on the Actros and Axor series. It was developed at the Wörth plant, where it is also built. All variants of the Zetros are powered by the OM 926 LA 7.2-litre 6-cylinder in-line engine developing an output of 240kW and an impressive maximum torque of 1300Nm from 1200 to 1600rpm.


A choice of two transmissions is available: the standard unit is the hydraulically/pneumatically shifted G 131-9 nine-speed transmission (eight forward gears + crawler) with a direct-ratio top gear, with a six-speed Allison 3000 SP/PR fully-automatic transmission available as an option. The VG 1700 transfer case for the permanent all-wheel drive has proved its worth for decades. At 1.690 the off-road ratio is a good 20% lower than in the Actros and Axor all-wheel drive models (which have an off-road ratio of 1.403). This makes extremely slow speeds possible, an important attribute e.g. on very steep downhill stretches. Pulling power is increased by around 70% compared to the on-road gears. Torque distribution between the front and rear axle(s) is 1:3.21 in the splitter box, and 1:1 if the differential lock is engaged.


In each case the base vehicle was the Mercedes-Benz Zetros 2733 A with 6x6 drive (wheelbase 5350 mm) and the standard cab. The cab's features include a padded sleeping berth for the driver, an air conditioning system, a 24 V audio system with CD player, a CD changer, a Bluetooth hands-free system and a 7-inch touch­screen to which a reversing camera is connected. A carrier system with a load capacity of up to 100 kg is installed on the cab roof. Four auxiliary spotlights and a twin air horn are mounted on this carrier, and the radiator grille houses four flashlights in red and blue. At the rear there is a carrier for two spare wheels, with a dedicated lifting system which also enables cargo to be hoisted onto the cab roof. The reversing camera is able to activate additional spotlights at the rear for safe manoevring at night. An adequate operating range in remote areas is provided by diesel tanks holding 300 and 200 litres.


In addition to difficult road conditions, the body and interior conversion work had to take into account the very special climatic conditions in the desert, where the vehicles are to be used. Extreme temperature fluctuations require particularly good insulation, and all the interior features were planned and installed to ensure that they are able to withstand the punishing conditions of off-road operations. The furniture was specially designed for use in tropical and desert regions.


Both vehicles have substantially identical bodies, though one of the two examples also has a rear vehicle bay able to accommodate a quadbike. The living area is a fully-insulated sandwich construction with walls, roof and floor of prefabricated sandwich panels insulated with hard PU foam and bonded together. The windows of the living area are double-glazed, can all be opened and are fitted with mosquito nets and roller blinds.


The interior is clearly divided into different functional areas. The bedroom is located in the rear, and the comfortable leather seating group for four to six people is in the front. There is also a luxurious bathroom with a marble floor and underfloor heating, as well as a large galley. In addition to the bedroom in the rear there is sleeping space available in the living area itself. The table in the seating group can be electrically raised and lowered, and when lowered it creates an additional, large bed.
The galley is fully equipped with a ceramic hob, microwave with grill, refrigerator/freezer, bar and coffee machine. The sink has a hot and cold water supply, and a precisely fitted dinner set for eight people is also on board. For outdoor use the vehicles have mobile twin-burner gas cookers with two 11 kg gas bottles. The bathroom has a separate shower cubicle, a WC/bidet combination, washbasin and three-door vanity unit.


The bedroom is separated from the living area by a partition wall with integrated flatscreen TV monitors (40-inch and 46-inch, one each facing the bedroom and seating group). In line with the intended use as a hunting vehicle, a safe for valuables (400 x 400 x 300 mm) and a gunsafe for hunting rifles are permanently integrated into the interior. Neither is there any lack of entertain­ment, as the vehicles are equipped with a SAT receiver with an electrically self-aligning SAT dish, a DVD/CD player, an MP3 player, a Bose hi-fi sound system and a Mac Mini plus W-LAN router.


Separate water systems supply drinking water and water for the shower/toilet, with a total volume of around 250 litres (volume of waste water tank around 100 litres), and the drinking water passes through a water filter. A separate pump replenishes the fresh water tank from outside, while a 230 V hot water boiler holding 20 litres provides hot water for the galley and bathroom. If the weather permits, it is also possible to use the exterior shower.


Especially as a 6x6 variant with six driven wheels, the Mercedes-Benz Zetros represents an unrivalled vehicle concept providing outstanding mobility and first-class traction.

RENAULT CLIO RS GORDINI CLEARED FOR MAY DEBUT

Renault South Africa promises to introduce the new Clio RS Gordini here in May. The car joins another Gordini model, the Twingo RS Gordini, which was launched in October last year. The launch event will take place at the 2011 Knysna Hillclimb that happens between the 21^st and 22^nd May.




Clio RS Gordini keeps the same normally aspirated 2.0-litre engine with 148kW and 215Nm of torque. What makes it special are kit pieces such as the Malta Blue metallic paintwork with twin racing stripes running over the bonnet, a new front bumper with gloss black finish, white mirrors and 17-inch Gordini alloy wheels.


The interior is also peppered with Gordini stuff like a special blue gear lever, a blue steering wheels and black gloss finish for areas like the fascia inserts and air vent surrounds.

2011 Citroen DS3 R3 Modif Car Pics

The Citroen DS3 R3, a model set to make its rallying debut at the end of 2010, comes with a four-cylinder 1.6-litre THP (high pressure turbo) engine, which has been developed using the PSA production engine. Specific racing parts (air box, camshaft, pistons, connecting rods, exhaust and turbo systems, electronic unit, etc.) have been deployed to boost the car’s power to 210bhp. In addition to its overall power, special attention has been given to increasing the engine’s torque to improve traction, one of the key factors in delivering efficient driving performance. With 350Nm, the DS3 R3 engine offers unrivalled flexibility on the road.








One of the main innovations on DS3 R3 concerns its gearbox. For the first time, a customer-racing product has been fitted with a semi-automatic gearbox, which reduces the time spent changing gears and increases reliability. The electronic management system only authorises gear changes when the engine parameters allow it

MotoGP: Pedrosa Shoulder Not 100% Fit

At the opening round of the 2011 MotoGP Championship at Losail International Circuit, Qatar, this past Sunday, Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa struggled through major pain in his left arm.



Despite the issues, the Spaniard took the final podium spot at the Doha track, finishing behind race-winner and teammate Casey Stoner, and the reigning MotoGP Champion, Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo.
During the MotoGP race, Pedrosa reported suffering from numbness and lack of strenght in his left arm. Pedrosa was suspicious that he aggraveted his shoulder injury sustained last MotoGP season at Motegi, Japan, and underwent further medical examination this week.
Repsol Honda reported that Pedrosa "passed several tests, consisting in a three-dimensional CAT scan with contrast and MRI and the results showed that there is no vascular or nerve compression in the canal of the collarbone, but there is a small stretch in the plexus, that even is gradually improving, will need still a little more time to finish healing."
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) says: "I honestly didn't expect my arm would react in this way because during preseason I never felt so much trouble and I thought the problem was solved. However, I felt really bad in Qatar race and was aware that the injury is not completely healed.
"It was a shame because in Qatar I found a good feeling and until the second half of the race - that's when the pain started - I was really good and I saw a realistic chance of winning. I would be lying if I said I'm not disappointed because this year the bike is working very well and I'm personally prepared, but unfortunately this complication has arisen and I have nothing else to do but give my best until the injury heals completely."
The MotoGP Championship heads to Jerez April 1-3, the first of four races in Pedrosa's homeland (Catalunya, Aragon, Valencia).

Doctors confirm Pedrosa shoulder still healing

Dani Pedrosa’s hopes of challenging for the 2011 MotoGP World Championship have been dealt a significant blow after doctors revealed he will continue to be hampered by his shoulder injury for the time being.
The Spaniard underwent tests on the shoulder – injured in an accident at the Japanese Grand Prix last October – shortly after the opening round of the 2011 season at Losail having struggled to maintain pace during the latter stages of the race.



Citing numbness and a lack of strength in his arm, specialists have since confirmed that while Pedrosa has no vascular or nerve compression, there remains a small stretch of the plexus and it is taking time to heal.
As such, though it doesn’t affect Pedrosa much during shorter runs, as evidenced by his strong form on the Repsol Honda during pre-season testing, he could suffer fatigue during the lengthier races.
While it won’t prevent Pedrosa from competing, he admits he has no option but to try and ride around the injury until it fully heals.
"I honestly didn’t expect my arm would react in this way because during preseason I never felt so much trouble and I thought the problem was solved,” he said. “However, I felt really bad in Qatar race and was aware that the injury is not completely healed.
“It was a shame because in Qatar I found a good feeling and until the second half of the race - that's when the pain started- I was really good and I saw a realistic chance of winning.
“I would be lying if I said I'm not disappointed because this year the bike is working very well and I’m personally prepared, but unfortunately this complication has arisen and I have nothing else to do but give my best until the injury heals completely.”

Spies No Doubt with Yamaha Potential

Yamaha must acknowledge the benefits of Honda in the first series of MotoGP 2011. Although the competitors showed great progress, Ben Spies will have great confidence that held great potential for the bike.
Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo was able to place second on the podium at Qatar MotoGP race last weekend. But in general, Honda is able to dominate the course of the series opener at the Losail Circuit.
Honda even has demonstrated its superiority since pre-season testing, where they are always able to beat its competitors to be the fastest. This condition is clearly a threat for Yamaha, who last season swept the world championship drivers' and constructors.
Related to the temporary position behind his team, Ben Spies claimed not to worry. Unlike his opponent, which he called only excel in certain circuits, his motor is able to look good in all trajectories. In essence, the greatest potential for Yamaha is consistency.
"Last year we saw the Yamaha worked very well on all tracks. Yamaha is not really strong on a track, where Honda is very good at some tracks and not on another path, and Ducati who have the same trend," said Spies in MCN .
"I think the conditions are the same as last year, although Honda has seen to solve the problems associated with consistency in their motors. I think consistency is Yamaha's strongest point," said Spies.
Continuing racers from the United States, the actual strength of a team will be known after passing through three races. From there to see what advantages and disadvantages of each ride.
"In the third race season everyone will know what will happen and what should be done for profit. We work with what we have. You can see Jorge Lorenzo as a comparison because he was very fast last year and now does not seem that he slowed down , "
"We may have to solve some problems but overall a good motor package. We know the balance of the motor in good condition and we will not see a big problem," Superbike 2009 world champion finished it.